The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county. The current Sheriff is David Gee, elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008 (with no opposition).

The HCSO operates with one of the lowest officer to citizen ratios in the state with only 1.34 deputies per 1000 citizens.

History

The HCSO was formed in 1845.

In 1986, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accredited the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. This agency governs law enforcement accreditation in the United States, Canada, and the British West Indies. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was the first Sheriff’s Office in Florida to be nationally accredited and the 1st in the nation to be re-accredited.